Summer Lovin'
by Evie-Chan589
Summary: Gaara gets dragged off to summer camp to make some new friends. While there he encounters two sexy counselors, Hyuga Neji and Uchiha Itachi. One wants to love him, one wants to screw him. Can he get it all sorted out before it's too late? NejiGaa ItaGaa
1. Chapter 1

"Remind me again why I have to do this?" Temari rolled her eyes and sighed_. I can't believe he's managed to complain for the entire ride._

"Trust me, Gaara, this will be a fun experience for you." Gaara scoffed.

"You have a twisted definition of what "fun" is." Deciding to ignore that last statement the blonde haired girl looked into the rearview mirror and studied her youngest brother carefully.

"God, would it have killed you to run a comb through your hair? How many times do I have to tell you that first impressions are important?" The addressed boy reached up self-consciously and placed a hand on his messy red spikes.

"Lay off, Temari, he's having a hard enough time dealing with this whole summer camp thing as it is. He certainly doesn't need you nitpicking at him." Gaara shot a grateful look towards his older brother, which was acknowledged with a slight nod.

"Shove it, Kankuro. I know what's best for him."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really. This isn't just an ordinary summer camp. It's an_ interactive learning experience_ being held at the highly esteemed Konoha University. It'll be a great chance for Gaara to not only meet the smart kids who will be going to his new school but to learn something new and interesting. Maybe he'll even overcome that shyness issue." Kankuro flared up a little at that.

"Shyness issue?! Just cause the kid doesn't throw himself at every person he meets doesn't mean he has an _issue_.

"Kankuro, when was the last time you saw him talk to anyone but us?"

_Ugh, please make it stop. _Gaara sat in the backseat listening to the all too familiar sounds of his sibling bickering. _They both keep making the same points over and over again… I get it already_. _Temari thinks I'm anti social and Kankuro wants to coddle me for the rest of my life. It's true that I don't really talk to anyone other then them but I don't see what's wrong with that. People are just so…scary._

Suddenly the car came to a screeching halt.

"Alright, we're here." Temari snapped, shooting one last glare towards Kankuro before exiting the car. Kankuro merely rolled his eyes and followed his fuming sister. The two elder siblings walked over to the trunk and began pulling out Gaara's luggage, a large brown suitcase and a red backpack. Once they were set Temari tapped vigorously on Gaara's window and motioned for him to follow them. Gaara chewed on his lower lip before reluctantly undoing his seatbelt and stepping out of the car. _I don't want to be doing this._

Before him loomed the entrance to the camp building. It was a tall brick building with large windows running across it and ivy creeping up the sides. The design was simple yet somehow still managed to give off an air of sophistication. The wide double doors had a banner hanging over them with the words "Welcome Campers" written sloppily in red paint.

"At least we know we're in the right place." Kankuro chuckled with his usual lopsided grin. The weak attempt to lighten the mood did little to calm Gaara's raging nerves.

"Come on you two." Temari was already marching through the doors and her brothers had to scramble to keep up. The trio found themselves walking up a seemingly endless flight of stairs as the followed various red arrows pointing them to their destination. After a long trek they finally arrived. The room they walked into was brightly lit with tons of campers and counselors milling about. Gaara gulped uneasily when he took in all the people. Temari noticed his obvious discomfort and turned to face him with an over zealous smile.

"Kankuro and I are going to go sign you in at the desk, why don't you go make some friends?"

"But-" Temari's statement was apparently not up for debate because before Gaara had a chance to say anything she was rushing away, tugging a sympathetic looking Kankuro along with her.

Gaara stood awkwardly in the center of the room, very unsure of himself. He was contemplating hiding in the bathroom for the rest of the summer when a bright ball of orange came barreling towards him.

"Hi I'm Uzumaki Naruto and this is my idiot boyfriend, Uchiha Sasuke! I've never seen you around here before! What's your name?"

"Uh…" Gaara blinked at the cheerful blonde who had seemingly materialized out of thin air. Standing behind him was a rather bored looking boy. Never before in Gaara's life had he met someone so quick to admit his own homosexuality. Gaara was gay, he had known for quite some time he was gay, but he had learned through past experiences that it was something that was best kept a secret.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the redhead's lack of response.

"You're not some homophobe are you?" Gaara's eyes widened in horror at the accusation.

"N-no! I'm…well, I'm..." Naruto cut him off before he had a chance to finish.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Sasuke-teme can be a real jerk sometimes. I knew you were gay the second you walked in this room." Gaara blushed a deep shade of red. _How could he tell?_

"The eyeliner was a tip off." Sasuke stated dryly, almost as if reading his mind.

"Oh…" Naruto beamed at him.

"No worries though! So you new around here?"

"Yeah, my siblings and I just moved here from Suna."

"Suna? Isn't that like some hick town in the middle of nowhere?" Sasuke promptly smacked his boyfriend on the side of the head.

"Dobe! What the fuck is wrong with you? Were you raised by monkeys or something?"

Naruto looked sheepish.

"Sorry…that didn't sound quite so rude when I said it in my head." Sasuke sighed.

"You're so uncultured."

"Oh well excuuuuuuuuuse me, Mr. Richy-Pants we can't all have a well-to-do daddy!"

"You're rich?" Gaara had never met someone even remotely wealthy before. What Naruto had just said about Suna being some hick town was pretty much accurate.

"This jerk is loaded!" Naruto answered on Sasuke's behalf. "But you could never tell by looking at him. Now his brother on the other hand…he knows how to flaunt the wealth."

"Naruto." The raven-haired boy looked angry for the first time, causing his blonde companion to grow defensive.

"I know you don't like him, but damn look at him!" Naruto turned and pointed across the room. Gaara's eyes widened slightly as he took in a tall, dark haired man dressed up in counselor gear. He had all his hair pulled back in a long sleek ponytail that fell down his back, and the most piercing pair of eyes Gaara had ever seen. He felt a blush rising to his cheeks.

"I'll admit he's something to look at but you should avoid him," Sasuke said in a low warning tone. "Itachi is bad news." Gaara nodded absently, forcing his gaze away from Itachi and back to the couple.

On the other side of the room Temari slammed down the pen she had been using to record Gaara's medical information. The whole time she had been trying to focus on the paperwork Kankuro had been twittering annoyingly in her ear.

"I just don't think this is a good idea, Temari. The only person who wants this to be happening is you, since when did you get so much power?"

"I'm his big sister, I've had this power since the day he was born."

"But what if something bad happens here? What if the other kids find out he's gay?" The second the words left his lips Temari slapped a hand over his mouth.

"BE QUIET! If he wants anyone to know about that he'll tell them himself. Now shut your big mouth!" Before Temari had a chance to punch her brother in the face for his ignorance a voice interrupted her from behind.

"Don't worry, we take good care of our kids here." Startled, she whirled around to face the man who had spoken. He was tall and muscular, with icy blue eyes and long golden-brown hair.

"I'm Neji, I work here." The sheer amount of pretty that this man exuded was overwhelming and all Temari could do was stand there and stare, besieged by hormones. Kankuro chuckled at his sister's obvious infatuation before deciding he'd better take over. He scanned the room quickly for Gaara and his eyes widened in shock as he spotted him actually socializing with two other boys. Two other boys who happened to be holding hands with one another. He recovered from his surprise in record time and addressed Neji as calmly as possible.

"The redheaded one is our little brother, Gaara. He's new to Konoha." The consoler followed Kankuro's finger across the room, once he'd located said little brother a smile tugged at his lips_. This is too perfect;_ _he's cute, gay, and new here. That means no boyfriend yet. _

"Ah, he appears to be hitting it off with a few of our returning campers." Neji studied the clipboard in his hands hurriedly. A satisfied grin spreading across his face." And it looks like Gaara will be in my group as well as his new friends, how fortunate. I guess that I should go introduce myself now." Temari nodded dumbly and the small group headed over to the chatting boys. _This is going to be a good summer._ Neji considered gleefully. He was only a couple of feet away from his objective when the worst thing he could imagine happening happened. Itachi came swooping out of nowhere.

"Hello." Itachi greeted, giving Gaara his most charming smile. "Is this your first year?" The green-eyed boy looked up at him shyly before nodding. Itachi turned and shot the Hyuga a knowing smirk. Neji bristled. _That asshole!_ _He's always trying to hone in on my territory._

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I was just talking to your siblings Gaara and I feel the need to introduce myself. I'm Hyuga Neji, your counselor and this here is Uchiha Itachi, the **second** in command." Nobody present failed to miss the stress on the word "second." Gaara chose to ignore the jab as he stared at the new visitor in surprise. _Holy crap this place is crawling with man candy._

Neji POV 

Stupid Tsunade, I told her it would be a bad idea to let Itachi be a counselor. This imbecile couldn't take care of a goldfish let alone a bunch of kids. And now look at him, drooling all over that new kid. He's only doing this because he must have seen me looking at him. Well I'll be damned if I let him molest this camper

" Gaara, Sasuke, Naruto, you'll all be rooming in dorm number 4."

"Alright! We're roomies!" I smile at the over enthusiastic blonde as he starts jumping up and down, raving about pillow fights and scary stories.

" Uzumaki, why don't you show Gaara to the room." He grinned and nodded animatedly. I watch as the boy's siblings each give him a quick hug before turning and exiting. I can't help but notice that he looks slightly traumatized so as Naruto tugs him past me I reach out to pat his shoulder. He glances over at me with pretty wide eyes and I use the opportunity to wink at him. _If there's one thing Hyuga Neji can do, it's flirt._ A pink tinge rushes to his cheeks and he looks away smiling bashfully. Itachi is glaring daggers at me but I simply smirk. _Neji: 1 Itachi: O_

"Here let me help you with that." Itachi takes the suitcase from Gaara and ushers him out of the room, into the stairwell. _Bastard._

End POV 

So far this has been a lot better then I thought it was going to be. Gaara thought happily. My roommates seem really nice and my counselors are SMOKIN'. At the exact moment that thought passed through his mind Itachi placed a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke shot his brother an evil glare.

"We're here." Itachi declared, opening a door and lightly pushing Gaara through. Sasuke and Naruto followed closely behind. The room was small, with one bunk bed on the left and a single bed on the right. In between there was a large desk flanked on either side by mahogany dressers. The beds were adorned with simple blue sheets, and matching blue curtains fell over the windows. Immediately Naruto flung his bag up on the top bunk.

"This one is mine!" He shouted. Sasuke lay claims on the bottom bunk by sitting down and crossing his legs. Once he was comfortable he resumed glaring at his brother.

"Guess you get the single bed by default." Itachi smiled, pointedly ignoring the nasty looks he was getting. He walked over and placed the suitcase on the bed, Gaara trailing behind him the whole time. Itachi flashed a sexy smirk, and then glanced down at his watch.

"I have to get back out there to meet and greet. I'll see you around." With that Itachi turned and left the room, leaving a love sick Gaara, an amused Naruto, and a rather peeved Sasuke in his wake.

"Geez, Gaara you move fast." Naruto laughed. "You've been in Konoha ten minutes and you've already got Itachi and Neji after you!" Gaara flushed.

"You really think they like me?"

"Hell yeah!" Sasuke glowered at the sunny blonde.

" For gods sake, Naruto stop encouraging him." The raven-haired teen turned to look Gaara in the eyes. "If I were you I'd seriously stay away from Itachi. That ass will screw anything that's pretty. Neji is much more…respectable."

Gaara nodded noncommittally and then pretended like the zipper on his suitcase was stuck so he wouldn't have to look Sasuke in the eye.

Itachi strutted back into the main room, enjoying the admiring glances he got from parents and campers alike. He walked right up to Neji and grinned.

"Cute little thing isn't he?" Neji's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Yeah, he is. And he'd never want anything to do with scum like you." Itachi quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Care to put your money where your mouth is?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I have a little proposition for you, whoever gets Gaara to kiss them first gets $100 dollars." Neji scowled.

"Our campers are not to be used to make money." Itachi laughed.

"Whatever, I'll get him to kiss me either way I just thought it'd be more fun to humiliate you in the process."

" Pssh, I give it two days, then he'll realize what an ass you are and trade up for something better."

"Is that "something" supposed to be you, Hyuga?"

"Of course."

"Sounds like a challenge, are you accepting my bet?" Neji examined his enemy intensely, god he hated that Uchiha so much it hurt. I know I shouldn't do this, I know this will end in disaster, I don't want to use the kid but…DAMMIT!

"I accept under one condition. He has to give the kiss willingly. " He emphasized the word while shooting his opponents an accusatory glare. Itachi grinned.

"Agreed. May the best man win."

With that he turned and strode off to do god knows what. Neji shot a fierce look at his retreating back, all the while trying to push away the feeling that he'd made a terrible mistake.

I know I should be updating Save Me instead of starting a new fic but I can't help it! PLOT LINES KEEP ATTACKING ME! …Anywayz, I really like were this fic is going. And yes, another evil Itachi, I can't explain it he just makes such a sexy jerk. Plz review.

3 Evie


	2. Chapter 2

Gaara reclined on his bed, watching Naruto with mild amusement as he flung various possessions around the room searching in vain for a comic book.

"Man! I know that I brought it!" In the midst of the chaos Sasuke walked back into the room and leaned against the doorframe to survey his boyfriend's actions, toothbrush in hand.

"Naruto, we've been here less then two hours and you've already trashed our room."

"I can't find my comic book!" He cried out in exasperation." And why are you brushing your teeth at 5:30pm?" Sasuke sighed as if talking to Naruto was the greatest burden in his life.

"I'm freshening up before dinner, not everyone lives in their own filth for weeks at a time."

"Oh shut up." Naruto sat up with a pout, giving up his desperate search. Gaara smiled at the two from where he lay. They argued a lot but he could tell how much they really cared for one another. _I wonder if anyone will ever love me like that…_

Suddenly there was a knock on their door and it cracked open, Neji poked his head through.

"Dinner in five, boys." He spared a quick smile at Gaara and then exited the room. Gaara immediately felt the heat rush to his face.

"I told you so! I told you so!" Naruto chanted while Sasuke nodded his approval.

"Neji is a good guy, Gaara stick with him." Gaara smiled slightly. He knew Sasuke was just trying to help but Itachi really didn't seem like such a bad guy. He had a sexy vibe to him. _Maybe he's just exaggerating because of that whole sibling rivalry thing._

Sasuke surveyed himself in the mirror, carefully gelling up his spiky hair. Watching him, Gaara felt a twinge of self-doubt. He looked so nice and Gaara was wearing the same thing he'd had on this afternoon, a pair of dark blue jeans that rode low, hugging his hips and then flaring out, a purple band shirt, and a loose gray hoodie. On a whim he disposed of his hoodie, reached into his suitcase, and pulled out a tight fitting leather jacket Kankuro had bought him. Gaara smiled a little to himself, _I have some people to look good for now._

Naruto flashed him a quick thumbs up at the outfit change and then the three walked out into the hallway to wait for their counselors to escort them to the cafeteria. They didn't have to wait long when Itachi and Neji came out of their room; they had both changed their outfits. Neji was wearing khakis and a polo shirt while Itachi had opted for black jeans and a red muscle shirt. Two very different looks, two very hot outcomes.

Neji waved at the group while Itachi nodded and then they set off. Gaara had no idea where to go but everyone else seemed confident so he just tagged along. As they walked Itachi sidled up on one side and started to make small talk.

"So how do you like it here so far?"

"It's good…everyone seems nice." Itachi smiled.

"Do you think I'm nice?" Gaara looked down.

"…Yeah."

"That's good." Itachi leaned in a little closer to whisper in his ear.

"I've been known to do some _very_ nice things." Gaara's eyes widened and he swallowed nervously. _That was certainly blunt._

Watching the two talk, Neji had been feeling a little putout, until he noticed Gaara's discomfort. _Itachi has a bad habit of coming on too strong._ He smirked; _this kid requires a more subtle touch._

Once they'd gotten to the overcrowded cafeteria Neji walked over to Gaara and placed a guiding hand on his elbow.

"I'll show you around." Gaara smiled gratefully and edged a little closer. With a frown Itachi made a move to yank the redhead away from his competition but before he could Sasuke grabbed the back of his shirt and jerked him backwards a couple steps.

"What the fuck, Sasuke?!"

"Leave him alone." Itachi sneered at his younger brother threateningly.

"You do not get to tell me what to do." He shoved Sasuke viciously out of his way and stormed off to get his dinner. The violent push sent the younger Uchiha reeling backwards and Naruto had to run over and grab him to prevent him from falling.

"Are you alright?" His voice was frantic with concern while Sasuke stared darkly at his brother's retreating back.

"I'll be fine, it's Gaara we should be worried about."

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Neji had finished showing Gaara the various food stations and could tell he was impressed. The camp had everything from American to Spanish to Italian to Asian cuisine. After a few minutes of debate Gaara had settled on shrimp pasta and a taco.

"Interesting combination." Neji joked, earning himself a shy smile.

"Follow me." Neji set off towards the left side of the cafeteria, Gaara in tow. It wasn't long before they reached a table where the rest of the group was already sitting. Sasuke and Naruto on one side, Itachi on the other. The second Itachi noticed Gaara he stood up, pulling out the chair next to him and motioning for him to have a seat. Gaara blushed, unaccustomed to people being so polite to him. He sat down, and Neji took his place on the other side.

Aside from Naruto stealing Sasuke's food and the counselors sending one another death glares the beginning of the meal was relatively peaceful. The calm was interrupted midway through though however when Gaara felt a hand on his upper thigh. Startled he looked down and traced the intruding hand up to Itachi, who continued to eat his dinner nonchalantly. Gaara shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to draw attention to himself while he casually attempted to brush Itachi off. The grip on his leg tightened and the hand began inching further up. The redhead froze, unsure of what to do as his counselor continued upwards, dangerously close to his crotch now. He thought his heart was going to pop out of his chest when Itachi placed his hand flat on top of his most private place, cupping him gently. To say Gaara was mortified would be an understatement. And then, as quickly as it had come, the hand was gone.

Gaara blinked. _Did that really just happen? _He looked over at Itachi who was gazing pointedly in another direction. For the rest of dinner he kept his wide green eyes fixed to his tray, remaining clueless while Sasuke and Neji stared at Itachi with murderous intent.

When the bell signaling the end of the meal rang Gaara scrambled to get out of his seat. After being told to just leave his dishes on the table for the janitors he headed towards the exit like a bat out of hell. Neji had to jog to catch up.

"Hey, slow down there. You're not allowed to wander off without a counselor." Gaara slowed down just enough to let the perky Hyuga catch up. A few moments of silence passed as Neji considered what to say next." How would you like a personal tour of the grounds?" Gaara hesitated, he really wanted to get back to his room and sort out what he was feeling but…

"Okay."

"Great." Neji chirped cheerfully. "Follow me." The two walked out of the building they were in and out into a wide park-like area of campus. There were college students milling about and eating under trees. " This is the recreation area, our camp will be coming out here a lot to play games and do various lessons."

"It's pretty." Gaara murmured. Neji smiled at him and motioned to a large gray building located slightly beyond the park.

"Over there is our camp's all purpose learning center. There's a science lab, a gym, a dark room, and anything else you could possibly conceive in there. The college had it built specifically for the summer program.

"Cool." Neji walked over to a park bench and sat down, looking expectantly at Gaara who followed.

"Are you having fun so far?" Gaara nodded.

"Good. Getting along with your roommates?" Another nod. Neji paused, wondering how exactly he should play his cards. " I know how much it sucks to be new, so I you ever need anything I want you to know that you can come to me." Gaara looked up at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice.

"Alright…thanks." Neji smiled kindly at him.

"I want to get to know you better, Gaara. Tell me about you, what kind of books do you read? What kind of music do you listen to?" Flattered by the interest the Hyuga was showing him Gaara started loosening up.

"I love to read, I'm really into mystery, thrillers, and suspense, anything with a big twist at the end." Neji beamed.

"Me too! I have some great books to recommend to you." The redhead found himself oddly at ease around his counselor and continued talking.

"I listen to a lot of music too. Mostly classic rock but I've been to some really good local band concerts before."

"There are a ton of great locals around here. My friend TenTen is actually the lead singer of a group."

"That's awesome!" Gaara exclaimed, genuinely impressed. The two continued to sit together on the park bench, breathing in the warm summer air and getting to know each other. Gaara found out that Neji had just graduated high school (top of his class, of course) and was starting his first year at the University. Gaara was only fifteen and starting his sophomore year but the age difference didn't seem to bother the brunette so he decided to ignore it as well. After about twenty minutes of talking Neji reluctantly turned to face the younger boy.

"I guess we should get back to the dorms now, the others are probably wondering where we are." The redhead looked up at him uncertainly, it had been a long time since he'd found another persons company this comforting and he wasn't sure if he wanted it to end. Neji sensed his hesitation,

"We can do this again sometime if you'd like." A happy feeling spread through Gaara's body.

"Yeah, that would be fun." With that the pair got up and started ambling over to the dorms, a feeling of satisfaction rushing through the Hyuga's chest_. I have this one in the bag... I wonder what I could get with one hundred dollars?_ He looked over at Gaara who was walking with his head down soulful green eyes staring at the ground contemplatively. Suddenly, his heart clenched up and for the second time that day guilt hit him with the force of a tidal wave. _I had started off today being genuinely attracted to the redhead and now I'm using him to get back at an old rival. And after talking to the boy…I just can't imagine hurting him like that_. Neji took a deep breath. _This whole bet was just a momentary lapse of judgment, tonight I'm telling Itachi I want out._

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Sorry for the shortness, I was having a lot of difficulty writing this chapter…but not to worry, a fresh wave of inspiration for this story has hit so expect better chappies in the future! (Reviews make me write faster…hinthint) 3 Evie


	3. Chapter 3

Immediately upon arriving back at the dorm Naruto had assaulted Gaara with a barrage of questions.

"Where were you? What did you do? Did Neji try anything? Did _you_ try anything? Was it fun?" Sasuke sighed irritably.

"Naruto shut up and let him talk." The blonde instantly stopped his rapid fire questioning and both roommates turned to face the redhead expectantly. Gaara just sat there, not knowing how to explain his amazing evening to the two people in front of him.

"Well?" Naruto prodded. "What happened?"

"He showed me around a little and then we talked."

"That's it?" Naruto looked disappointed. Sasuke rolled his eyes, turning to face Gaara.

"What did you talk about?"

"Books, music, school…it was really nice I like Neji."

"Ooooooooo Gaara and Neji sitting in a tree!" The Uzumaki started singing gleefully. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes-MMMPH!" Sasuke shoved a pillow into his boyfriend's open mouth.

"You are so annoying!" He scolded, as the blonde pulled the pillow out of his mouth and coughed, maneuvering himself to face pointedly away from Sasuke.

" So Gaara-Chan, who do you like better, Neji or Itachi?" Gaara tilted his head to the side, thinking hard. Neji was nice and certainly good looking but Itachi's raw sex appeal was tempting. And even the way he came on so strong was flattering. But the redhead wasn't sure how much he trusted him, Neji on the other hand…that was someone he could actually see himself dating. He frowned to himself.

"I don't know, I really don't know."

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Neji walked into the room he was forced to share with Itachi, head held high. The Uchiha was sprawled on his bed, reading a magazine but the second his roommate entered he set it down and sat up.

"Where the hell have you been?" Neji glanced over him idly,

"Out." The Hyuga sauntered over to his own bed, making himself comfortable before turning to examine the other man in a purposely-bored fashion. "I've come to a decision."

Itachi raised one elegant eyebrow.

"And what would that be?"

"The bets off." Neji's tone was cold and decisive but the raven-haired man simply scoffed and folded his arms.

"You can't do that."

"I can do whatever the hell I want." The Uchiha studied him icily for a moment, assessing the situation.

"If you're backing out then I want one hundred dollars." Neji rolled his eyes and took out his wallet, handing over five twenties. Money was really no object to him. Itachi counted the bills, looking satisfied. "Don't think this is going to make me leave him alone." He sneered, finally succeeding in getting a reaction from Neji.

"Just let him be! You're only interested in screwing him anyway. Everyone can see that." Itachi laughed cruelly.

"Everyone but him." The brunette's fists clenched as he found himself locked deep into an internal battle. He wanted to beat that bastard black and blue but he knew doing so would get him kicked out of camp. Thoroughly amused that his opponent was getting so riled up, Itachi continued.

"Awww what's the matter, Hyuga? You don't have to worry; once I get what I want from little Gaara I'll let you have him. Then the two of you can go and prance through flowery fields, or whatever the hell pussies like you do." That was just about all Neji could take, he lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of the other man's shirt, forcing him up to eyelevel.

"You listen and you listen good, if you lay one filthy hand on him I'll not only get you kicked out of camp, but out of the University as well." Itachi folded his arms and scrutinized Neji coolly, clearly not intimidated.

"You do not have that kind of power. And besides-" he smirked "It's not like I'm going to rape him." With that he reached out, smacking Neji's hand off of his shirt before sitting back down and resuming reading his magazine.

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The next morning the three campers were sitting outside in the hallway, waiting for their counselors to come out of their room. Sasuke was sitting against the wall with his arms around Naruto who lying between his legs, his back pressed against his chest. Gaara was standing a little off to the side, feeling awkward and out of place with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his loose black jeans. Suddenly the door to the counselor's room swung open and out walked Neji and Itachi. The elder Uchiha jabbed at Naruto's shoulder with one foot, successfully sending the boy rolling to the side and out of Sasuke's grasp.

"No PDA, boys." Sasuke glowered at him before helping his rather peeved boyfriend to his feet. After that uncomfortable moment had passed Neji led the way back down to the main room where the rest of the camp was waiting. He directed his group over to a small gray couch where there was just enough room for everyone but Itachi. Somehow Gaara didn't think that had been a coincidence. He didn't have long to dwell on it though because a large breasted blonde woman stepped up in front of the room, waving her arms for silence.

"Good morning, campers." She bellowed out across the room. "Welcome to Camp Konoha, I'm Tsunade, the camp director. I call the shots around here so if you get in trouble you'll be answering to me." She said that last part rather threateningly as she scanned the various young faces. "I will now ask all the campers to sit in a big circle on the floor." As everyone got up and found themselves a spot Naruto couldn't help but notice the confused look on Gaara's face. The blonde leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"We're going to play name games."

"Oh, God help me." Gaara groaned. He absolutely despised things like this. Once the whole camp was in proper formation Tsunade stood up and handed a ball to a pink haired girl who was wearing tight clothing and far too much make-up.

"Once you have the ball you must state your name, age, and one fun fact about yourself. When your turn is over pass the ball to someone else, be sure they're looking at you before you toss it." She nodded at the girl who grinned eagerly and faced the crowd.

"My name is Sakura, I'm fifteen years old and I've been horseback riding since I was three." Naruto once again leaned in towards Gaara's ear.

"That's not all she's been riding." He grinned knowingly, earning a stifled laugh from the redhead. Sakura handed the ball to the girl sitting next to her; she had long blonde hair that was pulled back in a tight ponytail.

"I'm Ino, I'm also fifteen and I love soccer."

"She's pretty cool, her only fault is that she's friends with Sakura." Naruto whispered again. Throughout the whole introduction the blonde kept giving his opinions on all the campers, which Gaara was actually thankful for. He learned Shikamaru was lazy, Shino was weird, Lee was crazy, Kiba was cool, and Chouji practically ate the cafeteria into debt last year. Most importantly he learned that Neji had a cousin who was his age. Her name was Hinata and she was painfully shy, Gaara had thought he was socially awkward but compared to her he could be prom king. She barely managed to stutter out the required information before gently rolling the ball to Gaara. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and turned to face the group.

"I'm Gaara, I'm fifteen and I just moved to Konoha."

"Glad to meet you, Gaara. I'm sure you'll love it here." Tsunade smiled at him before turning to address the camp. "Today you guys have a free day. Mill about, get to know each other better, play sports, basically do whatever the hell you want because tomorrow real camp starts and we're going to learn about the arts." With that, she waved a hand dispersing the campers. Sasuke leaned in and whispered something to his boyfriend that caused him to turn towards Gaara, a little guiltily.

"Umm…are you going to be okay by yourself today? Sasuke and I well, we kind of want to go somewhere together and um…you know." Gaara blushed furiously and even though he really didn't want to be left alone he gave his approval with a quick nod and dejectedly watched his friends scurry off together leaving him stranded in the midst of the bustling room.

"Hmm not very nice of my brother to abandon you like that." Gaara reeled around to face Itachi and instantly found himself blushing again, memories of last night's dinner still fresh in his mind.

"I-I guess this gives me a chance to meet the other kids." Gaara muttered anxiously, trying to back away. Itachi reached out and caught his arm, reeling him back in.

"You like to meet new people?" The Uchiha questioned, pulling him in even closer.

"Y-yeah." Gaara lied, new people terrified him he just didn't want to say that, it would sound stupid.

"Well I was planning on going out tonight and getting together with some of my buddies. Do you want to come?" Gaara felt lightheaded being this close to such an attractive man, before he had time to think about what he was saying he'd already agreed.

"Good. I'll pick you up around seven." Itachi strode off, a smug look on his face. It took Gaara a few minutes to recover from the shock of being asked to go somewhere. Then apprehension washed over his body. _Why did I just agree to that? I don't want to meet his friends! What if I do something dumb? And what about what he did yesterday? He's really hot but I don't know if I can trust him. Goddamn hormones screwing with my head!_

Gaara's mind was spinning with worry, but before he had a chance to completely lose himself his inner turmoil he felt someone tugging at his sleeve. He turned to the side and saw Sakura standing in front of him, hands on her hips. She was wearing jean shorts so tight and short it was a wonder she'd been able to sit down. Her shirt looked like it had been painted on and dipped so low he could see the top of her lacy black bra, which come to think of it, she probably didn't need to wear.

"Are you rooming with Sasuke?" She questioned, flipping her hair and sticking her chest out.

"Uh yeah…" He answered uncertainly. "Why?"

"Well," she huffed. "I just happen to be Sasuke-kun's girlfriend and I'd like to know where he went." Gaara's eyes widened in surprise. _Girlfriend…is this chick completely out of her mind?_

"He and Naruto went off together…" Her whole face twitched with annoyance.

"Where did they go?"

"I don't know." She narrowed her eyes and stomped one foot childishly. "Well if you see him tell him to come find me."

"Alright…I'll definitely do that." He watched her walk away back over towards Ino, swinging her hips exaggeratedly as she went. Gaara blinked; _there certainly are some weird people in this place_

"If I were you I'd wash my hands or something, I swear you can get herpes just by talking to that chick." A boy with spiky brown hair and tattoos on his face had appeared beside him. He recognized the newcomer as Kiba; the one Naruto had dubbed "cool." The redhead looked over at him timidly.

"She said she was Sasuke's girlfriend." Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Only in her dreams, everyone knows that guy's gay." Kiba grinned boldly and shifted a bit." So, do you want to hang out with me and my friends?" Taken aback by the offer all Gaara could do was nod happily. _Everyone here is so much nicer then they were in Suna…_

The rest of Gaara's day whizzed by in a blur of new faces and experiences. He Kiba, Shikamaru, and Lee had played a game of basketball, Chouji opting to watch on the sidelines. And even though Gaara wasn't very good Kiba always made sure he got the ball, he had ended up assisting in a bunch of shots, even making one of his own. At lunch Naruto and Sasuke were still M.I.A. so Gaara had eaten with his new friends. They'd talked and laughed and made fun of Sakura the whole meal through. After that they had all contented themselves with card games until dinner. Now, after finally locating the lovebirds Gaara was sitting back in his room, suitcase spread out in front of him, trying to select the perfect outfit.

"You really really shouldn't be doing this." Sasuke repeated, staring critically at the redhead. For the past half hour he had been quite the doom seer, saying the same things over and over. Long story short he didn't want Gaara going anywhere with his brother but Naruto wasn't going to let him lock the other boy in the room.

"Quit being such a fun-sucker, Teme." Naruto handed a long sleeved mesh shirt to Gaara. " I talked to Itachi, he agreed to have him home by ten. And you have both their cell numbers we can call and check up on them every ten minutes." Gaara glared.

"You'd better not." Sasuke shook his head from side to side, barely concealing the impending sense of disaster he was feeling.

"Just be careful."

"I will, I promise. Now then, what do you think?" Gaara spun around in a little circle. He'd put on the mesh shirt and pulled a blood red t-shirt over it, the mesh was still covering his arms and extended slightly over where the shirt ended. He was wearing dark blue jeans that went so low the top of his black boxers and the lines of his pelvis were visible. To top it all off he'd thrown on a pair of sneakers and a black ski cap, his bangs fell out from underneath contrasting startlingly against the dark fabric. A pair of large green eyes, outlined heavily in black stared out from a creamy complexion. All in all he looked like a sexy little punk rocker.

"Oh, man!" Naruto raved. "If I didn't have Sasuke I would totally nail you!" Gaara laughed, for once not blushing. Sasuke scowled.

"I think you should put on a sweater."

"Aww you're so cute, Teme. Just like a concerned mommy." Naruto wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist and kissed his neck.

"Seriously, Gaara that's like waving a piece of steak in front of a pit bull." The slender teen wasn't listening though, he was too busy checking himself out in the mirror and trying to push the butterflies away. All of a sudden his cell phone went off and he rushed to the dresser to get it.

"Hello? Oh, hi. Okay, great, yeah I'll be there in a minute. Bye." He snapped his phone shut. "

"That was Itachi, he's waiting outside. I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"Have fun, sexy."

"Be careful!"

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Yeah, I've decided to take this fic in a different direction. Originally the bet was going to be a main part of the plot but I changed my mind and decided to just cut it out…I hope this chapter came out well. I know there wasn't any Neji and for that I apologize (is ashamed) but don't worry his time will come.

I'm aiming to get ten reviews per chapter but I don't want to be one of those authors who refuse to update if they don't get enough reviews. So I'm asking you, out of the goodness of you hearts and nothing else, please tell me what you think! 3 Evie


	4. Chapter 4

Gaara stood in front of the double doors that led out into the parking lot; consumed by worry. To step outside these doors would be breaking down a lot of emotional barriers he had set up back in Suna. Right now he was moving way out of his comfort zone, going out with some guy he hardly knew; voluntarily meeting new people…

_Konoha is a crazy place._ Before he had a chance to lose his nerve Gaara took a deep breath and abruptly pushed the doors open, stepping out into the warm night air. He shut his eyes for a moment, letting the night's sounds soothe his anxiety.

**HONK HONK**

Gaara's head snapped up and he looked to the side. Itachi was motioning him over from behind the wheel of a black Mercedes sports car. He swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and headed over, quickly sliding into the passenger seat and turning to face his date.

"Hi."

"Hey. You look hot." Itachi smiled charmingly, and he had to fight to keep a blush from taking over his face.

"Thanks." His gaze turned downwards as the car's engine roared to life. As soon as they had pulled out of the parking lot Itachi flicked the radio on and hit the gas, sending the car lurching forward in a jarring flash of speed. Gaara's knuckles went white as he gripped the seat and tried to stop himself from shaking.

The Uchiha gave him a sidelong glance, grinning inwardly. _He looks so fuckable when he's scared._ He pressed his foot down even harder on the gas pedal andit wasn't long before the car came to a screeching halt in front of a dingy looking apartment complex.

"Wait right here." Itachi instructed, getting out of the car and walking around the other side to open the door for his companion. Gaara couldn't help but smile as he was helped out of the car and Itachi looped one arm around his shoulders, leading him into the building. The paint on the walls was peeling and the carpet was so old and stained it was impossible to tell what the original color was supposed to be. And as if that wasn't bad enough the smell of alcohol and urine floated about in abundance. Gaara's nose crinkled up with disgust.

"Yeah, I know it's pretty gross," Itachi chuckled, "but I can't help it if my friends are poor." Suddenly the pair's movement halted in front of a small door that looked like it was about to fall off its hinges. Itachi turned to him with a smile in his eyes.

"Try not to be scared of Kisame, the only work he could get was in a sideshow." His words barely had any time to register with the slender teen before Itachi was reaching out to knock. His fist hardly had a chance to connect with the door when it swung open, revealing the most bizarre looking person Gaara had ever had the displeasure of laying eyes on.

The man was freakishly tall and muscular, but that wasn't the disturbing thing. His entire body was tattooed with blue streaks, so many of them that they blended together giving him the overall appearance of being entirely blue. His teeth were filed into points and he had also gotten the illusion of gills engraved into his face. Gaara twitched nervously at the sight and Itachi laughed.

"This is Kisame."

"H-hi." The blue man flashed him a toothy grin, opening the door wider to allow them entrance. Stepping into the room Gaara didn't find it much more pleasant than the hallway had been. They were in some sort of large living area, complete with a huge black couch, matching black recliners, and a musty carpet. Scattered on the floor and coffee table was empty beer bottles, fast food containers, and other things that had rotted beyond the point of recognition. Through the dim lighting Gaara could see the form of one other person sprawled on the furniture. A girly looking man turned around on the couch and examined the newcomers. He had a ton of blonde hair, half of it pulled back in a ponytail and the rest simply flopping into his face. Itachi took the liberty of introducing the two.

"Deidara this is Gaara. Gaara this is Deidara." The blonde had some sort of maniacal grin on his face, looking Gaara up and down.

"Hi, Sweetie." The green-eyed boy shifted uncomfortably as he noticed Kisame examining him in much the same way. He felt like some sort of object on display. Itachi, sensing his discomfort, pulled him a little closer and sent his friends warning glares.

"Why don't we watch a movie or something?" He asked, attempting to get the attention off of his date. Kisame shrugged.

"Whatever. What do you want to watch?"

"Ooooh! Oooh! Let me pick!" Deidara jumped off the couch excitedly and rushed over to the TV shelf, digging through the various DVDs. The two other men in the room rolled their eyes at his childish behavior while Gaara simply stared. Itachi led him over to the couch and sat down, forcing him into his lap as he did so. Gaara stiffened as the Uchiha's arms wrapped around his waist, he could feel warm breath tickling the back of his neck. _This is a bit weird…_

"I've decided!" Deidara declared delightedly, holding a DVD over his head like it was a trophy.

"What is it?" Kisame questioned.

"You'll see." With that the blonde popped the movie in and came and sat next to Itachi, looking up at Gaara seductively through his bangs. The redhead quickly averted his eyes to the screen.

Much to Gaara's disdain he found himself watching one of those pointlessly gory movies. The kind with absolutely no plot that was chock full of gruesome deaths and naked girls. Gaara knew that these movies were tasteless, low budget and tacky but that didn't make him any less frightened.

As the killer jumped out from behind a corner and tore the head right off a semi-innocent cheerleader Gaara found himself clutching to Itachi and burying his face in his neck, trembling. Itachi smiled and wrapped his arms tighter around the boy, hugging him close. He placed a few butterfly kisses on his neck and murmured huskily into his ear.

"Don't worry, babe it's just a movie." Gaara felt shivers of excitement run down his spine and Itachi moved in closer, running his tongue around the boy's earlobe. Gaara's eyes widened in surprise, he was suddenly aware of something hard poking into his thigh. He tried to pull back a little, pushing down on Itachi's chest, only to find himself locked into place. The older man captured Gaara's chin between his thumb and forefinger, pulling him in and planting a soft kiss on his mouth. Gaara froze, staring into Itachi's enchaining eyes, unsure of what to do next.

The decision wasn't up to him apparently because Itachi unexpectedly got to his feet, lifting Gaara up with him. The two other men in the room looked at the pair with raised eyebrows.

"I'll be back later." Itachi smirked and then strode away into another room, a bewildered Gaara still lying in his arms. Itachi tossed the petite teen unceremoniously onto a large king sized bed. The landing seemed to snap the boy back to reality.

"Itachi what the hell are you doing?" He scrambled off the bed and stood, shaking slightly. Itachi closed the door behind him, ignoring the question. Gaara tried again,

"What's going on?" Hard as he tried he couldn't keep the pleading tone out of his voice. Itachi crossed the room in two long strides, enveloping Gaara in a bone-crushing embrace.

"Relax, I just wanted a little alone time with you. That movie was lame" Some of the tension immediately left Gaara's body and he couldn't help but feel silly. _Geez what's wrong with me? Itachi isn't going to hurt me; I just need to chill out. _Itachi pushed him back down onto the bed and lay next to him, wrapping his arms around him lazily and leaning in for another kiss. This time Gaara reacted. He pressed his lips back up against him and pushed their two bodies together, enjoying the way it felt to finally loosen up a bit. _See this isn't so bad. Teenagers do this stuff all the time._

He felt something wet lapping at his lips and before he could register exactly what it was Itachi had rolled on top of him and was prodding his tongue into his mouth. _Umm…okay, this is still normal. Deep breaths Gaara, deep breaths. _Itachi pressed up against him with increasing force, delving deep into Gaara's mouth, he captured the smaller boy's tongue and began to suck on it. He then grasped his lower lip between his teeth and nibbled on it gently before releasing and traveling down his throat.

Gaara panted, hands gripping the Uchiha's shoulders intensely as he felt him expertly maneuvering his mouth around sensitive spots on his neck and collarbone he hadn't known existed. _Okay,_ _this is good. This feels good... _Itachi's hands were running up and down his arms sensually. The Uchiha sat up a bit and examined the panting, flushed teenager beneath him.

"You having fun?" Gaara nodded shyly, avoiding eye contact. Itachi smirked and began to lift the boy's t-shirt up off his body, offhandedly tossing it to the side. He leaned in to suck on a nipple that had popped through the mesh. Gaara gasped and arched upwards, unfamiliar feelings of pleasure coursing through his body. His face was just about the color of his hair by now.

"Itachi! I don't want to go too far."

"Mmmhmm." He muttered, not really listening. He shifted back a little and began undoing Gaara's pants.

"Hey! I don't want you to do that!"

"Ssshh." Itachi hushed, "you're okay." But Gaara wasn't okay; he was starting to have second thoughts about coming here. He tried to edge away but found his back pressed against the bed's headboard and his legs pinned beneath the older man's body weight. Itachi smirked, finally getting the button undone; he yanked Gaara's pants off in one smooth gesture.

"Stop it!" Gaara squirmed desperately. Itachi leaned forward again, kissing Gaara's eyelids tenderly.

"I told you not to worry, baby. I just want to make you feel good." He started rubbing at Gaara through the thin material of his boxers. The boy reached down and tried to push his hand away but his attempts seemed to go unnoticed by the physically stronger Uchiha.

"Itachi-ah, s-stop." Itachi slipped his free hand inside of the underwear, grasping Gaara's growing hard-on with one hand while the other continued to massage his balls from the outside. Gaara gripped the sheets, trying to will all of this away. _No, no…I don't want this…_

Itachi increased the pace, grinning sadistically down at the boy.

"See, doesn't this feel good?" Gaara shook his head rapidly, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Itachi sneered. "You're a fucking liar." He began rubbing harder now, setting a rough pace that caused a shudder to run through Gaara's whole body. He didn't want this…this wasn't right. But he was getting close now, so close

"N-no, _ahhh _stop! STOP!" He cried the last part out, arching his back and bucking against Itachi's hand as he finally released into his own underwear and all over the other man's hand. Itachi let go of him, grinning cruelly.

"Now didn't that feel nice?" Gaara whimpered, backing away from him. He spotted his t-shirt on the ground and made a move for it.

"Not so fast." Itachi grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and yanked him backwards. He wrapped his arms around him from behind and started nuzzling at his neck.

" You're a selfish little thing. Take take take and never give…is that anyway to live your life?" A few tears broke loose from Gaara's emerald eyes and trickled down his cheeks.

Itachi reached up and brushed them away.

"It's alright, sweetheart. You can trust me. Didn't I just make you feel good?" Gaara froze, mind spinning in confusion. _Wait…what just happened? Didn't he hear me telling him to stop?_ Itachi kissed him on the cheek. "We don't have to have sex if you don't want to, darling. But it just wouldn't be fair if you left here without helping me out a little." He grabbed Gaara by the wrist and guided his hand down in between his own legs. "Can't you feel how bad I need you?"

"I don't want to be doing any of this!" Gaara cried out, attempting to jerk his hand out of Itachi's grasp to no avail. A dark look came over the elder's features.

"You really are selfish little bitch, aren't you?" He grabbed a handful of Gaara's hair and wheeled him around. "If you want to do this the difficult way, then we can do this the difficult way. Now, I'm only going to tell you this once: take off my pants." Gaara's mind went blank.

"W-what?" Itachi pulled back and punched him hard in the gut.

"Do it." Gaara doubled in on himself, clutching his stomach and gasping for air. Itachi took the opportunity to punch him again in the side of the head.

"DO IT!" Feeling dizzy and sick the boy hurriedly complied with his orders, fearful of being hit again. He awkwardly undid the buttons and Itachi lifted himself up slightly, helping Gaara to fully remove the garment.

"Now there's a good boy." Gaara blinked. Apparently Itachi hadn't bothered with under wear that day, his thick erection was fully exposed, about half an inch from Gaara's face. He could feel the hand still entangled in his hair pushing his head down lower. "Open your mouth." Gaara refused and Itachi pushed him down further, forcing his hard-on up against Gaara's sealed lips. "If you don't want to give me a blow job like a good whore then I could always stick it up your ass." Gaara's heart tightened with terror. _Anything but that. _He opened his mouth and Itachi slid in, throwing his head back with pleasure.

"Ah, that's better. Now, swirl your tongue around the tip." Gaara obediently did as he was told and Itachi moaned, forcing more of himself in. "Suck. Suck as hard as you can." Gaara clamped his eyes shut, more tears spilling down his cheeks as he sucked with all his might. Itachi was rocking back and forth, running his hands through Gaara's hair as he repeatedly slammed into his gag reflex. The redhead fought to keep his teeth away from the erection, afraid of what would happen if he bit him. Itachi's thrusts were increasing with force and frequency now as he drew closer and closer to his end.

"Oh, Gaara…Ah yes, good boy, you're such a good, sweet boy. Ah, aahh... YES!" He forced Gaara all the way down to the base one last time, shooting his seed straight into his throat. Once he was done he pulled Gaara's head away from his crotch and up to his face, planting a gentle kiss on the corner of his lips. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" Gaara stared at him, stricken.

"I-I want to go back to camp now." Itachi smiled sweetly.

"Aw is my baby sleepy?" He leaned in to kiss him again. "Alright we can go now." Itachi stood and tossed Gaara's clothing to him, pulling on his own pants as the other boy hurriedly dressed, shaking from fright and uncertainty. Once they were set the Uchiha pulled Gaara to his feet and looped an arm casually around his waist, talking away the whole time. Gaara was in a confusion-induced haze and not a single word spoken to him made any sense. He blindly followed Itachi back to the living room, as the older man said his goodbyes, walked out to the car, opened the door for him, and lightly pushed him into the passenger seat. _What just happened to me?_

The ride home was completely silent, both males completely preoccupied with their own thoughts. When they got back to the dorms Gaara exited the car and Itachi walked him back up to the rooms. Gaara was desperate to get back to his room and sort out his feelings and the instant the door came into sight his hands were on the knob and turning. Before he had a chance to open it Itachi grabbed him and spun him around.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Gaara nodded numbly, unsure of what else to do. Itachi's carefree attitude and flippant tone of voice were making him doubt his own memory of the evening.

"I'm glad. I had fun too." Itachi gave him one last peck on the lips before strutting into his own room, self-satisfied smirk firmly in place. The second he was out of sight Gaara flung the door to his own room open and rushed in. He slammed the door behind him and slid down exhaustedly against the wall.

"Are you okay?" Gaara's head snapped up, suddenly remembering that he shared this room. Both Sasuke and Naruto were sitting on Sasuke's bed with a bunch of cards spread out between them. Apparently they'd been waiting up for him. Gaara remained on the floor, unsure of what to say. Ironically enough his thoughts had been most clear right after the "incident" occurred. What had happened to him seemed so obvious then. Itachi had made advances, he said no, but Itachi ignored them. He knew that was wrong, he knew that Itachi had done something bad. At least, he thought he knew. Now though…he couldn't be so sure. The Uchiha's attitude afterward had been so relaxed and nonchalant, almost as if nothing at all had happened. Gaara was beginning to wonder if he had lost his mind.

_Maybe that was normal…maybe that's the way all teenagers act together._ Gaara really didn't know, he had basically zero experience in these matters and back in his hometown no one ever talked about male-male relationships, they were the ultimate taboo. Asking question could have gotten him beaten to death. Gaara tried to reason with himself, _we didn't even have sex, and besides, only girls get raped. _Sasuke rushed to his side, tugging him gently to his feet.

"Gaara! Are you all right? Did Itachi hurt you?" Gaara looked at the panic stricken Sasuke for a moment, slowly coming to a decision.

"N-no. He didn't hurt me…but I don't think I want to go out anymore." Naruto cocked his head to one side and examined him.

"Do you mean you don't want to go out with Itachi or with _anyone_?" Gaara chewed on his lower lip.

"I meant that I don't' want to go on any dates for a little while." The redhead looked down at his feet and sighed dejectedly. _I guess I'm just not ready for the dating world yet._

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Depressing chapter, I know. Poor Gaara, so innocent, so naïve... Not to worry next chapter there will be a guaranteed Neji overload to make up for the lack of him thus far. If you keep reviewing the way you guys have been I'll keep writing as fast as I can. –Evie

P.s. I actually had this completely written a day after chapter three came out but my stupid Internet decided to stop working…sucks doesn't it?


	5. Chapter 5

The second Gaara opened his eyes the next morning a splitting headache pierced through his skull. Groaning, he tried to sit up, only to fall back down at the sharp stab of pain in his stomach. _This is not going to be a good day. _He reached above his head, groping about on the wall for the light switch. Finally he found what he was looking for and the whole room was illuminated with flickering yellow light. The two other boys sat up in their beds groggily.

"Gaara? Is something wrong?" Sasuke examined him with sleepy concern. The redhead was even paler than usual and his delicate features were contorted in an expression of pain.

"I don't feel so good…" Sasuke swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked over to Gaara, putting one hand on his forehead.

"You don't feel warm." He looked down at him suspiciously while Naruto stared at the pair with interest. "What hurts?"

"My head and my stomach." Sasuke pulled the covers back and started lifting Gaara's shirt up.

"What are you doing?!" The redhead rolled to the side, holding his shirt down.

"I want to see your stomach." Sasuke grabbed his shoulder, moving him back onto his back and raising the shirt the rest of the way. Both boys eyes widened in surprise. There was a large purple bruise dead in the center of Gaara's flat stomach. It was roughly the size of a fist and if one looked hard enough they could see that certain areas of the bruise were darker then others, creating the imprint of knuckles. Naruto jumped off his bed and rushed over, curious to see what they were looking at. Sasuke's shock was rapidly replaced by righteous anger.

"That fucking bastard! That stupid fucking bastard! I'm going to kill him!" Naruto put a calming hand on his boyfriend's arm

"Calm down, Teme. Let Gaara tell us what happened." Sasuke wheeled back around, facing Gaara with his arms crossed.

"What happened?"

"Um, we went to the apartment where his friends were, and I met Kisame and Deidara." Sasuke scoffed,

"Ugh, those guys are such creeps."

"Yeah…then we watched a movie, but I got scared so Itachi took me to another room. And we kind of well…"

"What? What did you do?" Sasuke was leaning in, staring intensely at the redhead.

"S-stuff."

"What kind of "stuff"?"

"Kissing…" Sasuke raised one eyebrow doubtfully.

"I don't believe for a second that Itachi took you in to a separate room and all you did was kiss." Gaara looked down at his lap shyly as Sasuke leaned in close.

"Gaara did he make you do anything you didn't want to do?" The redhead hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding his head up and down, dreading what was to come. Much to the surprise of both Gaara and Naruto Sasuke did not immediately begin smashing things and ranting. He simply walked over to his bed and sat down, head in his hands.

"I told you not to go with him…" Gaara sighed miserably.

"I'm sorry...but we didn't have sex or anything"

" That doesn't matter, he still hurt you. But don't be sorry, it's not your fault. Itachi has perfected the art of tricking people." Gaara chewed his lip as Sasuke's words made their impact. _He tricked me…that wasn't normal. _Never before in his entire life had Gaara felt so used and dirty. The sudden urge to take a shower and get clean was so strong that he forced himself to stand, ignoring the intensifying ache in his stomach. Naruto quickly came up beside him, throwing an arm about his torso, helping him support his own weight.

"Where are you trying to go?"

"Bathroom. I want to get cleaned up."

"Alright. Off we go." Gaara leaned against the blonde as the duo headed out the door and down the hallway, Sasuke trailing behind. Once they reached their destination Naruto allowed Gaara the small dignity of going into the bathroom alone. He remained outside with his boyfriend, who was examining him crossly, arms folded.

"Is there a problem, Sasuke?"

"Yeah, nobody ever listens to me."

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Gaara stood under the showerhead, letting the steaming water wash over his sore muscles. A soft sigh escaped from his lips as he ran his fingers through his hair, massaging his throbbing head as his mind wandered freely over the past few days. He found it incredible that after just two days in Konoha he'd made more friends than he could ever dream of having in Suna. Plus, he'd met a gay couple, another rarity in his hometown. But he'd also been forced to learn some very harsh life lessons regarding love, something he did not have much experience with.

Gaara shut off the water and stepped outside the stall, towel wrapped loosely around his hips. He made his way over to the mirror and began applying generous amounts of eyeliner, grateful that he'd finished all his unpacking the day before. When he was through with his eyes he picked a comb up off the counter and ran it sloppily through his hair. Once that was done he set the comb back down and studied his reflection, continuing to stare into his own eyes until he saw the uncertainty and fear there morph into a look of steely determination. In his life Gaara had overcome an immeasurable number of obstacles and he'd be damned if he let this one bring him down. _I'll just have to be even more careful from now on._

With one last glance towards the mirror he walked out of the bathroom, hurrying past Sasuke and Naruto and into the room. Once there he threw on some loose jeans and a baggy black hoodie before marching back into the hallway to meet his friends. Apparently the other two had gotten dressed while he was in the shower and were now waiting outside the door for him. Naruto cocked an eyebrow,

"Feeling better?" Gaara hesitated for a brief moment and then nodded. And it was true for the most part, the hot shower had soothed the pains in his body, but now he was ready for a good meal.

"When are we eating breakfast?"

"Soon." Sasuke looked at him worriedly. " Are you going to be okay with seeing him again?" Gaara tilted his head to the side, honestly considering the question before slowly shaking his head up and down. Facing Itachi would definitely be easier now that he was no longer confused.

"And you don't have to worry." Naruto declared confidently, " We've got your back." The blonde raised his fists up in front of his face and started hopping from foot to foot, jabbing playfully at an invisible opponent. " If he tries anything I'll beat him black and blue." Sasuke groaned, burying his face in his hands in mock embarrassment as Gaara started laughing.

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Neji had been feeling very concerned for Gaara's well being. Last night Itachi had arrived back at the room very late, smirking evilly. That kind of a smile was unsettling on anyone but with the Uchiha it looked damn near terrifying. Now, standing outside his dorm, watching the three laughing boys he felt both foolish and relieved. _I shouldn't let Itachi get to me like that._ Neji shook his head, clearing it of negative thoughts as he leaned against the wall, wondering how long it would take the trio to notice his presence. He didn't have long to wait before Itachi came bursting out of their room so suddenly that the Hyuga had to jump to avoid being hit with the rogue door. The boys immediately halted in their actions, Sasuke and Naruto both stepping in front of the redhead at the same time he stepped back. Neji felt his heart sink. _That can't be a good sign…_

"Good morning, all." Itachi scanned the group coolly, eyes settling on Gaara for a moment before darting away. "What are we all standing here for? I'm hungry let's eat." With those words everyone started walking, an uneasy blanket of silence falling over the group. Sasuke and Naruto were flanking a rather nervous looking Gaara on either side, much like bodyguards, and Itachi was looking annoyed about something. Neji had the distinct feeling he was out of the loop.

When they got down to the cafeteria they discovered that they were running behind schedule and had to rush to eat breakfast and make it to the art wing of the main building in time. It wasn't until later, when the whole camp was seated around a large table with art supplies scattered over it, that Neji finally had a chance to be near Gaara. Even then he couldn't talk to him though, they were forced to sit through some disheveled old woman lecturing them on the different styles of art. She babbled for a good half hour before finally turning the camp loose, telling them to create something that " bared their soul to the viewer."

Gaara was bent closely over his paper with a charcoal pencil, scribbling furiously. Neji turned towards the redhead to strike up conversation in what he hoped was a casual manner.

" So what have you been up to?" Gaara paused and looked up at him briefly, before looking back down and resuming his previous activities.

"Not much."

"You just hung around the room with Naruto and Sasuke last night?" Another pause, this time Neji could've sworn he saw the boy's hand shake a little.

"Yeah…" That answer should have soothed the Hyuga's worries but the dishonesty in his voice was so obvious it couldn't be ignored.

"Are you sure?" Gaara hung his head a bit; he'd never been a good liar.

"No. I actually sort of went somewhere with…Itachi…Am I in trouble now?" Neji felt a little ill.

"You're not in trouble, campers are allowed to leave grounds as long as their with a counselor…" Jealousy was not something the brunette was used to dealing with. "Did you guys- have fun?"

"No." He said it so softly Neji very well could have missed it, but he didn't. And despite knowing that Itachi had surely done something awful to the boy that answer still made him happy.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He knew it was the polite thing to say, even if it was a lie, inner Neji was doing his signature happy dance. _Ha Ha!_ _Gaara is all mine now._

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Sasuke and Naruto had decided to work together on their art project. There was a big piece of construction paper spread out between the two, and as Sasuke drew a detailed border his companion was lightheartedly sprinkling the whole thing with glitter. The couple was so caught up in what they were doing it took a moment for them to notice a figure looming overhead.

"What the hell did you do?" Itachi demanded angrily.

"I could ask you the same thing." Sasuke voice and expression were frigid at best. His brother narrowed his eyes.

"You fucked everything up, you know that?"

" Yeah, I guess I did. Now Gaara doesn't want anything to do with you anymore, so I suggest you leave him alone."

"Yeah." Naruto felt the need to pipe up just for the sake of being included. Both raven-haired teens shot him death glares so he quickly resumed his glittering, deciding to leave this one to his boyfriend. After a short-lived staring contest Itachi turned on his heel and walked off, nose in the air. "Someone needs to take the pole out of that guy's ass." Naruto joked, earning himself a small smile.

"He probably had some elaborate plan and I totally trashed it." The blonde frowned slightly,

" So now what's he going to do?"

" I don't know and I don't care. He'll have to move on from Gaara though. Look." Sasuke smiled, pointing across the room to where Neji and Gaara were involved in an animated conversation. Happiness welled up inside of him knowing that his friend was moving on so quickly. The joy didn't last long though…

"Sasuke-Kun! I thought I'd never find you!" A pair of arms encircled him from behind and the scent of perfume was so strong he thought he was going to pass out.

"Sakura…get the hell off."

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**Gaara POV**

Neji has done it again. I don't know how, but he's done it. At first I was really uncomfortable to be around him again, I thought he'd be angry with me for going out with Itachi, but he doesn't even seem to care! And t right after asking about last night he magically switched the topic and got me talking to him like never before. I can't believe how easy it is to relax around him; I've never been this outgoing before. For the first time in her life I think Temari was right about something.

"So what do you think?" His voice brings me back into myself, _Oops… I kinda zoned out there._ He smiles, reading the expression on my face perfectly. " I was just asking, would you rather travel backwards in time, or forwards?"

"Oh," I smile "backwards definitely. I love history and it'd just be too cool to see those things happening first hand. And besides, if I travel in to the future I might discover something awful; like that the world is about to end. And if something bad is going to happen that I can't prevent, then I don't want to know about it. It'll ruin the time that I have left." Neji grinned and nodded.

" I totally agree with you…" He took a deep breath in; _everything is going really well so far… I guess_ _it's now or never._ "Um, Gaara, not to change the subject or anything but remember what we were talking about a little while ago? About the local bands, and how I told you my friend TenTen fronts one?"

"Yeah…"

"Well her band is having a show tonight, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in going with me?" My heart freezes in my chest. _Oh, god what do I do?_ _I told myself I wasn't going to go on any dates for a while. I told myself I wasn't ready. But damn, I like Neji so much…_

"I-I don't know can I answer you later today?"

"Sure. But you'll have to tell me by dinner, the show starts early so we'd probably end up grabbing something to eat on the way there."

"Okay. Once this whole art thing is over we have a couple hours of free time right?"

"Yep."

"Okay I'll decide on it then, I just need a little time to think." _And to talk to Sasuke and Naruto… _Neji smiled understandingly,

"Sounds good to me. But I hope you decide to go"

**End POV**

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So what do you guys think? Should Gaara say yes, or make Neji work harder for his love? Tell me what you think in your reviews. -Evie


	6. Chapter 6

The campers had been dismissed all of ten minutes ago and already Gaara had dragged both Naruto and Sasuke back up to their room. Now he was sitting on his bed, anxious and out of breath with two bewildered boys staring at him inquiringly.

"Gaara…is something wrong?" Sasuke titled his head to one side and examined the redhead in front of him.

"I don't know. I need your help with something, guys."

"Oh I give great advice!" Naruto hopped up and down excitedly as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Dobe your advice sucks." Naruto looked crestfallen as his boyfriend took control. " Now then, Gaara, what's your problem?"

"Neji, he um, well I think he asked me out but I'm not sure." Sasuke and Naruto exchanged looks before turning back to Gaara quizzically. The blonde was the first to speak, apparently over Sasuke's diss.

"No offense or anything, but how can you not know?"

"He asked me to go to a concert with him tonight…and-"

"Dude he totally wants you!" Sasuke smacked himself in the forehead.

"Naruto! That does it, I forbid you to speak."

"But-"

"I FORBID IT!" Defeated, the blonde folded his arms and pouted childishly.

" Now then, I think what my intellectually impaired boyfriend was attempting to convey was that Neji is definitely into you in a "more than friends" kind of way."

"Oh. I was afraid of that."

"Afraid? Why would you be afraid? Neji's hot and smart and funny and nice and-" Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"I think he gets your point, Sasuke."

"Heh, sorry." The raven-haired teen rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. " What are you afraid of, Gaara?"

"I'm not really sure…it's just up until like, two days ago, I've had zero experience in these things and now…"

"You don't have to worry about that with Neji, he wouldn't push anyone to do something their not comfortable with. And I mean, c'mon, I've seen how well you two have gotten along. And I've seen the way you look at him, Gaara."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Naruto interrupted, "That your eyes practically turn to giant hearts whenever you're around him." The redhead turned to Sasuke for confirmation.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant."

"Oh. But I'm still not sure, I mean it's just so soon…"

"Look, I know that my stupid brother hurt you less than twenty-four hours ago, and I know that every therapist in the world would say it's too soon to start going out again, but I'm so eager to see you happy waiting could kill me! Please, give Neji a chance you wont regret it."

" I do like Neji a lot… and I do want to go to that concert."

"Then go! Trust me, I was right about Itachi and I know I'm right about this too!" Gaara studied Sasuke's face carefully. He really did have faith in his friend's judgment, and he looked so sincere it was hard not to believe that everything he said was true. _Maybe it could be that easy to move on…_

"Okay. I'll go." All the tension left Sasuke's body at once and he collapsed onto his bed, smiling victoriously while Naruto jumped up and down, pumping his fist in the air. "I guess I should go tell him."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Sasuke offered helpfully.

"No thanks." _If I'm ever going to be independent I'll have to start learning to do things on my own. _Keeping that thought in mind he hurried down the hallway to the counselor's room and knocked, Neji's voice called out to him.

"It's open come in." Hesitantly, he pushed the door opened and stepped into the room. Neji was sitting at the desk, reading a book, while Itachi reclined on his bed, laptop lying on his stomach. When he entered both men looked up and he swallowed nervously.

"Hi." Itachi grinned at him.

"H-hello." For some very odd reason it hadn't occurred to him that the Uchiha would be in his room. Now he felt pretty stupid for not thinking of that.

"Is this in regards to the concert?" Neji smiled charmingly and stood up, successfully bringing the redhead's attention to himself.

"Yeah, it is. I decided that I would like to go." He looked down at his feet an odd mixture of nervousness and pride spiraling through him.

"That's great!" The Hyuga glanced over to smirk at his roommate. " How about we leave around four, that way I can take you to this great place I know about for dinner."

"Okay. That sounds fun."

"I think so too." The room they were in was small, and it only took Neji one-step to be directly in front of the slender teen. "It's three o'clock now so we're leaving in an hour. Now if you don't mind I need to primp I'll see you soon." Gaara nodded, turning to leave.

"See ya." _Shit one hour? I'd better get a move on too._

With that thought in mind Gaara rushed back to the room, promptly dropping to his knees and rooting through his suitcase. Sasuke chuckled softly at his frantic actions.

"What's the hurry?" Gaara froze. Something about hearing his friend's voice had brought back memories of yesterday evening.

**I think you should put on a sweater or something…that's like waving a piece of steak in front of a pit bull.**

"Neji and I are leaving in an hour. But there's no hurry." He dropped the clothes he'd been examining and flopped back onto his bed. _I told myself I'd be more careful and I meant it. _

"You're not even going to change your outfit?" Naruto blinked in confusion, not quite getting the reasoning behind the redhead's odd behavior. Sasuke, of course, was in perfect understanding

"You look great already, Gaara. But you are going to a pretty hip down town spot; your look could use some pizzazz. Hang on one sec." The ebony-eyed teen pulled a small bag off his bedside table and began rummaging through it until he found what he was looking for. "Here, wear this." He tossed something across the room to Gaara, who caught it one handed before holding the object up and studying it carefully. It was a necklace, an exquisitely beautiful necklace. The chain was simple and made of silver. It was adorned with a blue and gold dragon, wrapped around a red jewel. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you sure you want me to wear this?"

"Of course I'm sure, you just have to promise me you'll have fun." Gaara smiled gratefully.

"I promise."

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Itachi sat upright on the bed now, laptop turned off as he watched the Hyuga run a brush through his silky hair.

"So, you're taking Gaara out…" Neji didn't even bother to look away from the mirror.

"What's it to you?"

"Nothing. Hope you have fun with my leftovers." Neji's hands clenched up furiously, shaking slightly with bottled up rage. _Calm down, everything he's saying is supposed to piss me off, but if I read into it it'll help me. Now I know that I have to take things slowly because Itachi definitely hurt him._ The brunette smirked again, setting the brush down.

"Jealousy is not a flattering look for you, Uchiha."

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In exactly an hour's time Neji had succeeded in doing his hair, brushing his teeth, changing his outfit, tormenting his roommate, and spraying on some cologne. Gaara had put on a necklace and stared at the ceiling. Now the time had finally come for the two to leave the dorms. Neji showed up at 4:00 on the dot and after a rather awkward moment at the door in which Naruto told their counselor that he'd better bring "his little Panda-Chan" home safe and sound at a decent hour, they were heading out to the car. Neji grinned at the teen still blushing over Naruto's comments.

"At least you're making friends here." Gaara groaned.

"Yeah, and with friends like that who needs enemies?"

"Aww, Naruto's ditzy but he means no harm." The redhead rolled his eyes. After that the entire ride to the restaurant was spent with the Hyuga regaling his companion with tales of the stunts the blonde had pulled during previous summers. It was a fun ride, and Gaara learned about all sorts of things, like the time Naruto broke every toilet on campus, and the "unspeakable noodle incident." By the time Neji's red BMW had come to a stop in front of a small, but cool-looking restaurant all of Gaara's worries had washed away. They got out of their seats and walked through the entrance to the building.

The inside of the restaurant was well lit, filled with plush booths and chatting young people. The walls were decorated with funky patterns and designs, all focusing in on the words "The Power of Youth" painted in a jarring shade of green. As soon as they had entered a tall lanky man with bushy eyebrows ran up to them, smiling widely. From head to toe he was dressed in a green so close to the color on the wall Gaara couldn't help but think it was planned.

"Ah, Neji, my friend and student, it has been far too long since I've seen you last! And who is your youthful companion? I don't believe we've met before." Neji smiled happily.

"It has been too long. This is my good friend Gaara, Gaara this is Gai. He happens to be a professor at the University and the owner of this lovely place of business. The green-eyed boy nodded slightly at the strange man who beamed back at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Now then, I believe I may have a table with your names on it." He led the boys over to a small booth, nestled in the corner away from the commotion. "I'll send a waiter over right away." With one last blinding smile he was gone, leaving a shell-shocked redhead in his wake. Neji picked up one of the menu's that were lying on the tabletop.

"So, you hungry?" Gaara snatched another menu.

"Yeah actually, I'm starved." He scanned the list of foods, eyeing a double bacon cheeseburger hungrily. They each continued to read, struggling to decide among the various food choices when a loud voice suddenly interrupted their thoughts.

" Hi! I'm your waiter for the evening." The two looked up and saw what appeared to be a mini version of the restaurants owner standing in front of them. Gaara felt a stir of recognition.

"Lee?"

" Oh! Hello, Gaara, hello, Neji." The Hyuga stared at him in confusion.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back at the camp?"

"No, Sir! I'm a waiter and a bus boy for Gai-Sensei every night! I don't even accept pay, hard work builds character you know." Gaara thought back to the day they'd played name games and Naruto had told him Lee was crazy_. I don't think he knew how right he was._ Neji shrugged to himself.

"Well it's good to see you I suppose. Can we order now?"

"Of course!"

"Good. I'll take the chicken wings and a tray of sushi for the table." The bright-eyed boy turned to the redhead expectantly.

"And you?"

"Cheeseburger and fries please."

"Sounds super! I'll be back before you know I'm gone!" And he wasn't lying about that, the pair only made about ten minutes worth of small talk before their food came. The actual eating passed with relatively little conversation but the mood was pleasant, it wasn't long before they were loading themselves back into the car and driving off towards the center of town. By that time it had started to get dark and Gaara saw the colorful flashing lights of their destination long before they actually arrived. Eventually Neji pulled over, parking his car along the curb only a few feet away from the entrance. He shut off the ignition and turned to the green-eyed boy smiling enthusiastically.

"Let's roll." The younger teen was practically shaking with anticipation as he exited the vehicle and walked into the club. It was pulsing, full of scantily clad teens dancing in time with music that was blasting from huge speakers. The speakers framed a large stage where a group of people was setting up a bunch of musical equipment. The brunette turned to his awe-struck date, reaching out to give his hand a light squeeze.

"This is going to be a lot of fun."

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More people wanted Gaara to say yes then wanted him to say no. Still, I hope I gave a pretty realistic portrayal of how Sasuke had to convince him and the way he'd act. Tell me what you think in your reviews. -Evie


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey you guys!" Neji called out to the people on stage, waving a hand in the air for attention. The group stood up and peered over in their direction, with the clubs flashing lights it took them a moment to recognize the man behind he voice. Once they did however the equipment was immediately set down so they could hurry over. Gaara had to squint to see what the people looked like through the hazy room. The best he could tell there were four slightly generic looking men wearing all black that Gaara assumed were other band members standing behind a tall slender girl. She had her long brown hair pulled up into two buns on either side of her head, secured with a shiny metallic hair band. The rest of her outfit matched the bands, a silver glittery mini-dress, gloves that reached to her elbows, and knee high boots, overall it was an oddly stunning techno-pop/rock n' roll kind of look. Her eyes skimmed briefly over Gaara before turning to his longhaired companion.

"Neji!" She squeals excitedly, throwing herself around him in a hug. " I'm so glad you could come!" Neji hugs back a little before pushing her away laughing lightly.

" Of course I came." He looped a casual arm around Gaara's shoulders and pulled him closer in an attempt to draw attention to the slender teen. "And I brought a friend. TenTen this is Gaara, Gaara this is TenTen." The girl observed his the arm wrapped around him, eyes narrowing ever so slightly before a huge fake grin was plastered over her face.

"Pleased to meet you, Honey." She sounded like she was talking to a mentally challenged six year old.

"Same here." Gaara lied. She tilted her head up a bit, seeing right through his lie and turning to face the Hyuga with bright eyes.

"You look fabulous! I'm so jealous! Your hair has always been shinier than mine." TenTen ran her fingers idly through the Hyuga's locks, a small flirtatious smile on her lips. Neji shifted uncomfortably and Gaara glared daggers.

"Hey TenTen," one of her generic band mates interrupted from behind, "we really need to keep setting up. We're going to be on in like, ten minutes." He looked impatiently up at the messy stage. TenTen rolled her eyes huffily before pulling her hand away from Neji's hair.

"Well, I guess I'll see you after the show." She purposefully angled her body away from Gaara, ignoring his presence. "Hope you have fun." With that she turned and flounced back onto the stage, the edge of her dress coming dangerously close to exposing butt cheek. Neji turned and smiled apologetically at the redhead.

"I'm sorry about that. TenTen and I dated back in high school and sometimes she has trouble getting over the past. Don't judge her for it she's really a good person." Gaara muttered something noncommittal and looked off to the side. This girl hadn't exactly made his list of top ten favorite people. Neji smiled at his behavior. " Don't worry we're going to start having fun soon." He gave his shoulders a light squeeze. "Let's go get something to drink." The redhead was led over to a mahogany bar located opposite the stage. Surrounding the bar were tons of people, either perched up on stools or just milling about the area. They rowdily clinked their glasses together, talked, and shouted for refills. All the noise and commotion made Gaara feel slightly dizzy; he'd never been good with crowds. Neji steadied him a bit as they approached the bar, casually raising one hand, to successfully catch the bartenders attention. "One rum and coke and one…" He trailed off turning to Gaara. "What do you want to drink that isn't alcoholic?"

" A coke I guess."

"Alright. And one plain coke." The haggard looking bartender nodded and hurried to fill their orders, quickly handing over two drinks. Neji gave him a folded bill and smiled. "Keep the change." By the time the two had finished their drinks and wormed their way back into the crowd the band was all set up and raring to go.

" Hey, everybody!" TenTen Grabbed the mic stand, bringing her lips right up to it. " Are you guys ready to PARTY?!" The room erupted in cheers and catcalls. She grinned out at her adoring audience before turning to face the band. " Alright, boys hit it!" The band immediately started playing an adrenaline-pumping tune, TenTen waited a few moments before she began belting out lyrics.

As much as Gaara hated to admit it the band was really good, just the kind of music he enjoyed and TenTen had a superb singing voice. He stood there for a little while, watching the crowd move around him as he enjoyed the song. TenTen pulled the mic stand between her legs and started swaying her hips sultrily, effectively driving the crowd wild. She ignored the various screams of adulation, scanning the audience until her eyes came to rest on Neji. Her eyes continued boring into him as she sand. Gaara couldn't help but flare up a little at this. _What does she think she's doing?_ _He's my date dammit. _He inched to the side a little, closer to Neji as he glared daggers at the girl on stage. Neji noticed and, smiling slightly, reached out to pull Gaara in front of him, pressing his chest against the boy's back.

The redhead smirked, leaning into the hug and taking in the shocked expression on the lead singer's face as she quickly looked away. And although she recovered in record time, throughout the whole performance her eyes kept drifting back over to the pair enviously. Gaara had to acknowledge that it felt good. Neji maintained a firm grip around him, nose buried in his hair as he took in the younger boy's scent. It was delicious, he smelled just like an apple orchard and the Hyuga idly wondered what kind of shampoo he used.As the songs changed the crowd's dancing did too. There was a mosh pit right in front of the stage, there were people jumping up and down and flailing, and there were couples practically having sex on the dance floor. But Neji and Gaara, they just stood like that, swaying slightly to the music and not doing much else. It was rather comforting; Gaara really didn't think he had it in him to dance. Being like this with Neji…it was pure bliss.

All too soon though the band had stopped playing and people were filtering out of the club. Gaara turned to his counselor expectantly.

"Should we go back to camp?"

" I kind of thought we could hang out with the band for a little afterwards. Unless that's a problem, do you want to go?" He looked down at the boy with concern.

"No, it's fine. We can stay." Truthfully Gaara was feeling a little tired and he wasn't thrilled with the idea of spending time with TenTen. But he didn't want to be a party pooper and besides, any time he spent with Neji was time well spent.

"Great. Follow me." Neji took the boy's hand in his own and started walking behind the stage where a small door, marked "performers only" was located. The two went through it and soon found themselves in a smoky room furnished with nothing but a large pink couch and a wardrobe. They had to step around scattered equipment to reach the couch where the five band members were lounging about. Neji sat down, pulling the boy next to him.

"That was a great show everybody."

"Thanks, man." One of the guys raised a beer bottle up and saluted him with it.

The strong scent of alcohol suddenly invaded their nostrils as TenTen draped herself over the back of the couch, dropping in between the two and resting her elbow on the top of Gaara's head which caused him to scowl with an uncharacteristic amount of malice.

"Hey, baby." She slurred her words, grinning drunkenly at Neji. How she managed to get so drunk in such a short period of time was beyond anyone in the room. "I'm glad you liked my show." The addressed male pulled away from her, utterly disgusted. In response she pouted, attempting to look cute but succeeding only in further annoying the object of her affection.

"TenTen please back off, Gaara is not a part of the couch." She looked over at the redhead as if noticing him for the first time even though it was glaringly apparent her actions were purposeful.

" Aw c'mon. Why are you being nicer to some kid then you are to me? I thought we were friends." Neji sighed with exasperation, reaching out and pulling her arm off of Gaara. Unfortunately in doing so he caused her to lose balance, falling face first against his chest. She started giggling uncontrollably and rolled over onto her back, grinning up at him. " If you're that desperate you could've just asked." It was impossible to tell whether she was kidding or not but either way Neji was pissed.

"That's it. We're out of here." He stood up abruptly, shoving TenTen off. " Come on, Gaara." The redhead immediately jumped to his feet, eager to leave.

" Geez why you got to be so uptight?" TenTen glared up at him from her awkward position on the couch.

"I'll see you later, Ten. When you're not totally wasted." With that Neji bid a quick farewell to the generic band boys and took his leave, Gaara in tow. Once they were back in the car, buckled safely he turned to his companion.

"I really am sorry about that. You've gotten a terrible impression of TenTen tonight I swear she's not normally that bad."

"It's jealousy." Gaara stated bluntly. " She's jealous of us." Neji rubbed the back of his neck.

" That was surprisingly observant of you." The redhead cocked an eyebrow.

"Surprisingly?"

"Well, yeah. No offense or anything but you don't pay much attention to detail." Gaara looked down at his hands, thinking about Itachi and all the clues he'd missed. Not to mention all the blunt facts he'd chosen to ignore. Neji noticed the sudden change in mood and bit his lip worriedly. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean it as an insult or anything. It doesn't matter." He used one finger to lift the boy's chin and force him to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Gaara smiled shakily. Concerned, but able to tell when to back off, Neji started the car and began driving. During the ride back Gaara stared absentmindedly out the window, not thinking about anything in particular while Neji fretted over the date. Finally, they reached the camp parking lot and walked up to the dorms. Being the gentleman that he was Neji insisted on walking Gaara to his door.

"So…did you have fun tonight?" The boy tilted his head to the side, thinking.

"Yeah, yeah I did." He smiled honestly, it had been a rocky night but overall he'd enjoyed it, the Hyuga's presence seemed to make everything all right. Pleased with the reaction, Neji smiled.

"I'm glad. Maybe we could do this again sometime?"

" I'd like that." Gaara grinned while Neji stared at him with wonder. _All right, here it is the end of the date. Now what do I do?_

Neji tentatively leaned forward, every fiber in his being screaming to kiss the boy even though his logical self knew it was too soon. Gaara recoiled slightly at the action, causing Neji to pause before decisively reaching out and putting one hand on the back of the boy's head, staring into those wide confused eyes. Gaara bit his lip.

_Is he going to kiss me?_ With a tender smile Neji moved in further, pressing his lips dead in the center of Gaara's forehead.

"Good night, Sweetheart."

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How was that for a chapter ending? Good and fluffy::grins:: I like this chapter, even though I didn't mean to make TenTen as skanky as I did. (I don't hate her! Sakura is the only character that I hate!) So yeah, reviews please. I want to know what people thought of the kiss. I did contemplate making it on the lips but decided it was too soon. Besides, this way the fic will be more drawn out. -Evie


	8. Chapter 8

Gaara watches, stunned, as Neji walks towards his room, giving him one last gentle smile before disappearing through the doorway. He too turns, intending to go to his own room and immediately fall asleep, but before he has a chance the door has already swung open and an exceptionally hyper Naruto is pulling him into the dorm. The blonde hops excitedly from foot to foot, grinning madly.

" Tell me everything and spare no details." Gaara rolls his eyes, just knowing that this was going to be a long night.

The next morning came both bright and unwanted. Gaara tossed onto his side, covering his head with the pillow and groaning. He, Sasuke, and Naruto had been up into the wee hours of the morning talking. It had all began with the redhead describing his date, but from there it morphed into a discussion of just about anything and everything. Never before in his life had Gaara talked at such length with anyone, including his siblings. Until now he'd never known the comforts of true friends, people whom he liked and who liked him in return. The thought brought a sweet smile to his face and he sat up, forcing himself fully awake.

" Good morning, Copper-Top." Gaara twitched slightly at Naruto's new nickname for him before deciding that it was at least better than Panda-Chan. The blonde was perched up on his bed, dressed in jeans and a bright orange sweatshirt with his hair still sticking out messily in all directions. Gaara smirked at him.

" Good morning, Goldilocks." Now it was Naruto's turn to twitch with horror as Sasuke, who was standing fully dressed in the doorframe, laughed heartily. After the raven gained enough control of himself to speak he turned to Gaara, chuckling lightly.

" You'd better hurry up and get dressed, we're leaving for breakfast in five minutes." The boy's green eyes shot open with surprise and he was immediately beside his suitcase, frantically searching for a decent outfit.

" Why didn't you guys wake me sooner?"

" I tried." Naruto said. " You bit me." As if to emphasize the point he pulled down his sleeve, showing off a bite mark on his arm. Gaara blushed.

" Yeah… I kind of have a problem with that." He chewed on his lip remembering all the wounds he had inflicted on his poor unsuspecting siblings. Sasuke laughed again, eyeing the clothes the redhead was pulling out.

" I'd skip the tight clothing and jewelry today, we're playing sports." Gaara nodded, grateful for the tip before pulling on some loose dark jeans and another band tee, this one was dark green and decorated with gold.

He offhandedly ran a hand through his red spikes, deciding there simply wasn't time to make them neat today. The last thing he did was run to the mirror and hurriedly apply eyeliner before turning to face his roomies.

" Okay, I'm ready to go now."

The trio walked out into the hallway where they found their counselors already waiting, Itachi glaring impatiently at them while Neji focuses his charming smile entirely on the redhead.

The walk to the cafeteria was quick but once they were there they discovered that they were once again running late and everyone had to scurry to get their food and finish eating. When the meal was over the group was guided out to the large sports field Neji had shown Gaara on his first day there. Memories of their first evening together helped the redhead will up the courage to speak to his crush.

" Hi." The Hyuga turned, startled that the redhead had actually approached him first.

" Hey." Gaara stared down at his feet, searching for a conversation topic, he'd really only planned up to this point. Fortunately for him Neji was outgoing enough for the both of them.

" You excited to play some soccer?" Gaara idly looked over to where the two coaches were having a heated argument over some unknown thing. They had been going at it for quite some time and while most of the campers were glaring at them impatiently the redhead was actually grateful for the delay.

" Not really I suck at soccer." Neji laughed.

" Well it was my favorite sport in high school but I guess it's not for everyone." Gaara blushed, immediately wishing he hadn't been so quick to complain. Suddenly the high-pitched screech of a whistle cut through the air. Whatever dilemma the coaches had been having was apparently worked out and the game was about to start. Much to both of their disappointment they were forced to separate and head to their assigned positions.

The game took a good forty minutes but thankfully Gaara avoided having the ball passed to him by constantly remaining in inconvenient places. He had decided five minutes into the game it was much more fun to watch Neji play than it was to participate. The Hyuga was an incredible soccer player, running after the ball nonstop, making countless goals, and doing kicks that sent him flying up in the air. Itachi too could hold his own but Gaara was trying his best to ignore that.

When the soccer game ended all of the tired, sweaty teenagers got a chance to eat lunch and cool off in the air conditioning before heading back outside for capture the flag. Gaara found it was even easier to not participate in this game; he simply ran and sat down behind a large oak tree while everyone else remained oblivious.

He stayed where he was, peacefully daydreaming, until an unusually haggard looking Neji suddenly stepped in front of him.

" Were you just planning on hanging out here all day?" He grinned playfully at the surprised redhead.

" I just-um- I don't like sports…" Gaara felt a bit embarrassed at revealing what he viewed as his geeky side to the guy he liked. The Hyuga however didn't seem to mind at all as he plopped down next to him.

" I'm pretty tired out actually, taking a break sounds nice." Gaara nodded slightly as a way of acknowledging the other's presence.

"So what's on your mind?" The brunette turned to face him with a cheery smile.

" Not much really. I was just thinking about last night…that concert was really cool."

" I'm really happy you had fun. I was kind of worried that TenTen ruined the evening for you." Gaara let out an airy laugh.

" I wouldn't give her the pleasure."

" Glad to hear it." Neji found the boy's forgiving attitude to be quite encouraging and felt a renewed sense of optimism wash over his body. Last nights chivalrous kiss was still fresh in his mind and he nervously wondered if now was the time to move things up a level.

Slowly, the Hyuga reached out to the side a bit, grabbing Gaara's hand in his own and giving it a light squeeze. For a moment all the other boy could do was blush and stare down at their entwined fingers before gently squeezing back.

The two remained like that; holding onto one another and staring off into the distance, happy to just bask in the peaceful moment.

Their contentment was suddenly interrupted as a large uprising of voices came from off in the distance. The sounds of campers screaming and coaches yelling pierced through the calm night air. Neji and Gaara glanced at each other briefly before jumping to their feet and rushing to the scene. There they found a crowd of kids staring in shock at a figure thrashing about on the ground. It was Sasuke; he was lying on his back, clutching his nose while blood seeped through the cracks in his fingers.

" Oh my God." Neji murmured, rushing to assist the injured boy as the coaches pushed back the spectators.

Gaara stood, mouth agape as his friend was lifted up and carried off of the field and towards the medical wing. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Itachi standing at the edge of the crowd, smirking in a very self-satisfied manner while Naruto looked between him and his retreating boyfriend in shock. The redhead felt his heart sink, he just knew Itachi had something to do with this and from the lack of attention he was receiving he'd gotten away with it too.

After that little incident the coaches found it impossible to restore order to the camp so the kids were just given the remaining part of the day off. Gaara immediately rushed to Naruto's side and looked at him questioningly as they began walking towards their dorm.

" I saw you staring at Itachi." The blonde's fists clenched up as he continued to glare into the distance. Nervously Gaara prodded further.

" Did he have something to do with what happened?" Naruto wheeled to face his companion, anger burning in his blue eyes.

"Of course he had something to do with it! Our flag was up in the tree and Sasuke and I were up there guarding. Then that stupid asshole Itachi climbed up to get it but before he Sasuke tagged him out. And then that bastard PUSHED him!" Over come with rage Naruto turned and kicked at the ground, sending a clump of grass flying. Gaara looked at him hesitantly.

" Did you tell the coaches this?"

"Yeah, and of course he said it was an accident and they fucking believed him." Naruto laughed bitterly.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the duo and when they reached the room Gaara immediately began reading while the blonde plopped onto his bed and blasted angry rock music, staring at the door impatiently.

Finally after twenty minutes of waiting Sasuke arrived back at the room. Much to the relief of both his friends he looked fairly normal, the only sign of his injury being a large bandage on his nose.

" Is it broken?" Gaara questioned softly.

" No, it was just a bloody nose and a couple of scratches I'll be able to take the bandage off tomorrow morning." Sasuke walked over to his bed and sat down, wincing slightly as this irritated the bruises on his side. His boyfriend leaned over the top bunk and examined him with a mixture of concern and anger.

" Did you get Itachi in trouble?"

"No." Sasuke rolled onto his side, turning his back to Gaara and purposefully ignoring Naruto's ranting about how unfair the whole situation was. The other two took the hint and let him be, each resuming their own quite activities.

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Itachi and Neji walked exhaustedly out of the conference room. They'd been forced to sit through Tsunade giving them a rerun of camp safety rules for the past hour and now all the Hyuga wanted to do was go back to his room, take some headache medicine, and go to sleep. Unfortunately for him Itachi had no intentions of letting him rest quite yet.

" What were you doing with little Gaara?" The Hyuga scowled warily.

"What do you mean?"

" I saw the two of you come walking out together from off the playing field." Itachi gave him a knowing smirk.

" Don't look at me like that we were just talking."

" Oh right." Itachi looked to the side, smirk widening. " I guess I should have expected that from a loser like you."

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I am so incredibly sorry for the long wait. I was grounded from the computer from the week and during that time I lost all my creative inspiration. And now I absolutely HATE this chapter. It was just so-ugh- it was so difficult to write but this as good as it's going to get. I'll try to make the next one better. Either way I hope you guys leave reviews. -Evie


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